Blood Diamond Director Appears at Conference

March 1, 2007byRob Bates

Ed Zwick, the director of Blood Diamond, appeared at the Rapaport Diamond Conference in January, giving a speech that was unsparing in its criticism of the diamond industry.

Billing himself as the only attendee “with no discernible agenda other than my own,” he said making the film changed his perspective on the world. He later argued the industry owed “restitution” for the events portrayed in the movie.

He said the industry needed to do better for the diggers and countries that supply the world’s diamonds. “Relative to the bounty the industry has taken [from West Africa], it has left nothing at all,” he asserted.

Earlier at a press conference, Zwick told JCK he was interested in hearing all the different opinions. He later said he was trying to “provoke, even inspire” attendees. “If the intent [of my film] was to raise awareness, I’d like to say in all modesty that has been accomplished,” he said.